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Religious Education

Religious Education is a compulsory subject and forms part of the national curriculum. At Warwick Road Primary School, we aim to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the major religions of the world. We help our children to learn from religions as well as about religions. Futhermore, children will reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We aim to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of all pupils. RE enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. We organise visits to local places of worship e.g. Dewsbury Minster, Madina Masjid (Batley),a local Pagan Retreat to name a few and invite representatives of local religious groups to come into school and talk to the children e.g. a local priest before Christmas and Easter. Pupils develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a multicultural society.

All materials are handled very sensitively and with respect - resources in school include books, pictures, artefacts, posters. All children irrespective of background, race, gender and capability have equal access to the RE curriculum. Tasks are broken down into small steps, giving children achievable goals. The more able children are given greater open-ended tasks/ opportunities for further research and more challenging study.

The school believes that religious education should provide a contemporary study of religion, preparing children for later life. The school bears in mind that the British Isles is a multi-cultural nation which has Christianity as the main religion of the indigenous population. Due consideration is given to other faiths and so respect, tolerance and understanding for the beliefs of others will be promoted. Pupils develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a multicultural society.

What follows, to give a flavour, is a summary or a snapshot of one of the units in the RE curriculum for each year group. Please use your child's class newsletter to find out what they are learning about each half term!

EYFS (Reception): WHERE DO WE LIVE?

This unit sets the scene for other units in EYFS. It establishes a sense of belonging to a community of family, school and the wider world. Pupils are encouraged to talk about and describe where they live and who lives with them, as well as learning about other aspects of belonging to different and wider communities.

Year 1: What does it mean to belong to a church or mosque?

The pupils learn about what they might see in a mosque or church building and what the people do when they go there. They begin to understand some of the differences and similarities between churches and mosques. They learn that churches and mosques are special places for the people who go there.

Year 2: How do people pray?

They begin to understand how Christians and Muslims pray. Pupils develop an understanding of the importance of prayer to those who belong to that religion.

Year 3: How are beliefs expressed through arts?

This unit includes music, visual art, drama and dance. The use of art and music is taught with sensitivity as a lot of our pupils are Muslims.

Year 4: What faiths make up our community and how can we ensure that everyone belongs?

This unit looks at different places of worship in the local community and their significance to believers. Visits to different places of worship are organised and members of faith communities come into school to discuss what happens in their place of worship and why it is important to them.

Year 5: Why are some places and journeys special?

This unit explores the special journeys that people make. It also looks at where these journeys are to and why and what people learn from them. It looks at the sacrifices that people make in order to carry out the journeys and how this enriches people’s lives.

Year 6: Can charity change the world?

Pupils learn about the work of two major faith based charities, Islamic Relief and Christian Aid. They develop their understanding of the impact of religion in the world and consider important questions of justice. They have opportunities to develop attitudes and opinions of their own and to consider key beliefs and teachings in Islamic and Christian traditions. To this end, the school has an annual charity event, for example, in 2016 the school was part of an initiative led by Islamic Relief to send gifts to Syrian children.